Nuance will integrate its PowerScribe 360 Reporting software with Radimetrics' eXposure application to speech-enable and automate radiology dose management.
Nuance
Communications has announced an agreement with
Radimetrics to automate software
on the reporting of radiology doses.
A
leader in clinical-understanding software, Nuance will integrate its
PowerScribe 360
Reporting with Radimetrics' eXposure system, which tracks the amount of
radiation down to the level present in each organ of the body. Physicians,
radiologists, clinical physicists and safety officers use Radimetrics'
software.
Radimetrics
is a developer of radiation dose monitoring and management software for
hospitals and imaging centers.
eXposure
is able to take information from a test such as a computed tomography (CT) scan
and provide an assessment of the patient dose, Gregory Couch, CEO of
Radimetrics, told
eWEEK.
Radiologists
will be able to report dosages using Nuance's PowerScribe platform, which
allows clinicians to manage documentation in their workflow using speech.
Nuance
and Radimetrics announced their agreement June 7.
As
Senate
Bill 1237 takes effect July 1 in California, medical facilities that
perform CT scans will be required to include the radiation dose in patients'
radiology reports. Nuance and Radimetrics have integrated their platforms to
allow the health care industry to meet this requirement.
By
July 1, phase one of the California law will take effect, followed by phase two
next year at this time, Couch noted.
By
integrating their platforms, Nuance and Radimetrics aim to eliminate errors
that occur when radiation doses are input manually. Without the software,
radiologists may erroneously report the amount of radiation as they take into
account values documented in the legislation, particularly in California, said
Couch
.
The
software allows radiologists to provide a context and estimate of actual
patient dose, said Couch. "A typical exam could require a radiologist to
dictate 10-20 values into the report, and that's a complete waste of
time," said Couch.
PowerScribe
automatically populates this dose data into a patient's radiology report,
Barbara Dumery, director of diagnostics solutions marketing at Nuance, told
eWEEK.
Macros
and templates allow radiologists to customize the amount of radiation that
needs to be reported, depending on the type of procedure, said Dumery.
For
instance, a CT scan would require some radiation to be reported compared with
an ultrasound, which does not require radiation to be reported, she said.
When
the dose information is transferred from Radimetrics eXposure application to
Nuance's PowerScribe, a template customizes it for presentation in a
radiologist's report, said Couch.
"When
the different systems start talking to each other, that's when the staff and
patients really start to benefit," said Couch.
With
the software from Nuance and Radimetrics integrated, radiologists could be able
to standardize their dosage reporting process, he said.
This
integration will also give the patient a better understanding of the radiation
they've been exposed to, according to Dumery.
"Right
now, there's not a lot of information that's normalized and understood by
patients to say 'what does this value mean and how may it vary depending on the
type of scan I've had and the type of facility,'" said Dumery.
"If
you go somewhere for one exam, you can get five times the dose, depending on
where you go," added Couch. "There's a huge need to standardize
practices in North America, and this is a good step in the right
direction€”making people aware."
These
tools could help radiologists and scientists understand the effects of
radiation on causing cancer, Couch suggested.
"Just
the fact that we're tracking this will make it easier for us to improve our
knowledge and understanding of what we need to do to keep patients safe."
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